1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus having, e.g., a copy function and a printer function, a method of displaying administration information of the image processing apparatus, a system of displaying the administration information, a program of executing the administration information display method, a storage medium of storing the program, and the like.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, there is a copy machine which is equipped with an administration apparatus for administrating a magnetic card and an ID number. In this type of copy machine, when a user performs a copy operation, the administration apparatus administrates the number of copies in regard of each section, or the like. Moreover, in recent years, a multifunction peripheral apparatus (hereinafter called MFP apparatus) having both a facsimile (FAX) function and a printer function has been developed. Incidentally, as the MFP apparatuses of such a type, the MFP apparatus capable of independently administrating facsimile reception outputs and the number of printer outputs are proposed, and also the MFP apparatus of administrating copy outputs and print outputs based on the same section information are proposed.
However, in the MFP apparatus, it is proposed to input and output an image through an output path which is different from that of a conventional copy machine. Incidentally, the followings are recited as examples of the paths. That is, an image read by other MFP apparatus is output by a user's own MFP apparatus (simply called own MFP apparatus hereinafter); image data of a scanned original is transmitted by a facsimile or an electronic mail; and images read by a scanner, transmitted from a host computer, and received by a facsimile are stored in a hard disk of the own MFP apparatus, and then the necessary image is read when a user needs it. In such circumstances, to uniformly administrate the number of output images as the same section information becomes difficult more and more.
Incidentally, these paths are consolidated in, e.g., three types as follows.
In the first type, the image is scanned by the own apparatus, but is not output by the own apparatus (i.e., transmitted to other apparatus).
In the second type, the image not scanned by the own apparatus (i.e., received externally) is output by the own apparatus.
In the third type, the image scanned by the own apparatus is output similarly by the own apparatus.
When it is intended to administrate these three paths as the same section information, it is necessary to prepare and provide four independent counters as follows:
a counter for counting the number of images scanned by the own apparatus;
a counter for counting the number of output images received from the external apparatus;
a counter for counting the number of images transmitted outside; and
a counter for counting the number of output images scanned by the own apparatus.
Moreover, it is necessary to notify the user of the counter information concerning these four counters as needed.
However, in the case where the same section information is administrated, when the overall counter information is always displayed on the operation unit, a problem to prevent the user from promptly obtaining desired counter information when referring the section information may occur. Still more, in a case where input and output paths become complicated and thus more counters become necessary in future, it is supposed that this problem becomes more serious.
Incidentally, it is usual that accounting for a copy operation or a print operation is performed in regard to each section. In the past, when the number of images scanned by the own apparatus, the number of output images scanned by the own apparatus, and the like are counted up, a guide for counting up the images is clear because physical resources such as originals and papers exist, whereby the user can be convinced.
Here, it is assumed that a count-up operation is performed when a scanner-read image in a recently proposed box and a transmission function or an image stored in the box is transmitted outside. In such a case, image compression is performed, resolution is designated, plural images are combined, there are many formats of transmission image such as a file format and the like, an image is transmitted by a facsimile, an image is attached to an electronic mail, and an image is disposed on a specific directory as a file. Therefore, in such circumstances, even if a guide for counting up images is unclear, the user is dissatisfied with an accounting system. Moreover, the specification as to the count unit in the MFP apparatus becomes complicated, whereby a problem to make a development engineer more hard to develop a new MFP apparatus may occur.
Moreover, since an input operation (scan) can be performed asynchronously with an output operation in the MFP apparatus, a problem that a process is difficult particularly when the counter (i.e., the value counted by the counter) reaches an upper limit value may occur.
For example, in a local copy operation that an image is input by the own apparatus and then output by the own apparatus, following cases are expected:
the case where, although the input operation ended, the counter reaches the upper limit value during the output operation;
the case where the counter reaches the upper limit value during the input operation; and
the case where, although the counter reaches the upper limit value during the input operation, the print operation is performed on the way.
In other words, the situation that the process is interrupted when the counter reaches the upper limit value includes various patterns. Therefore, when the counter reaches the upper limit value unexpectedly, then the user has to continue the process in consideration of the reason why the process is interrupted and a method of restarting the process, whereby a problem to make the MFP apparatus awkward for the user may occur.
Moreover, when the upper limit values are set respectively to the plural counters, it is difficult for the user to grasp which counter reaches the upper limit value even when the process is interrupted. In this case, even if one counter reaches the upper limit value, when there is a mode that is executable by only the remaining counters which do not yet reach the upper limit values, the process in regard to the mode in question can be continued. For this reason, if counter information cannot be notified easily to the user, a problem that, when the process is once interrupted because any of the counters reaches the upper limit value, it is difficult to restart the process may occur.